


Swimming Lessons

by TheGreyMage14



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: F/F, Fantasy, M/M, Merpeople, Witches, rating may go up later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2019-06-12 07:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15335004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreyMage14/pseuds/TheGreyMage14
Summary: “Won't you come swim with me~?”





	1. Chapter 1

The day had been wonderfully fair, with blue skies, a good breeze and bright sunshine. It was the sort of day where one was content to lay on a grassy area and watch the clouds lazily go by. A day without cares or worries.  
“Won't you come swim with me~?”  
At least, some worries.  
Lavi couldn't help but openly stare.  
He was flawless.  
Hair whiter than the foam on the sea, alluring silver, moon like eyes, a voice soft enough to soothe the loneliest of hearts.  
He was incredible. Pristine. Stunning.  
And Lavi was also sure he was going to kill him.  
He had decided to sneak away from Bookman that day, to take a break from the constant studying and cataloguing. Lavi was sure that if he had stayed much longer, his head would have exploded.  
Lavi had been standing at the edge of a rocky outcropping, thinking how good the sea breeze felt, when the mythical creature appeared in the water. Lavi got over his initial shock surprisingly fast, given how he had never encountered a mythical creature before. However, he had quite an expansive knowledge, so he knew a couple things about mythical creatures. One of them being that merpeople were not to be trusted, as they liked to drown their unsuspecting victims before eating them.  
He was still there, smiling at him with teeth that were too sharp, and a smile that was too innocent.  
Lavi shook himself free of that silver stare.  
“...I can’t swim.”  
“Well then silly boy, I shall teach you~”  
Lavi chuckled and sat down, away from the edge. He wasn't stupid after all. “Really?”  
“Why yes of course!”  
“And what will happen after this swimming lesson?”  
He pulled himself onto the rock so his arms were resting on it. “What would you like to happen~?”  
“I’d like to come out of it alive, if I'm honest.”  
The creature put his hand over his chest, acting affronted. “You think that I would dare to drown you?”  
“I do indeed.” Lavi smiled. “So I’ll say no to the swimming lesson.”  
He frowned. “...Then I don't need to be here any longer. Goodbye little human.”  
“It's Lavi.”  
This time, a true wave of surprise washed over his pale face. “What?”  
“My name. It's Lavi.” He repeated, then shrugged. “It’s not everyday I meet someone like you.”  
The creature looked at him in puzzlement. “...Why would you tell me? Names hold power you know.”  
Lavi twitched a bit. “Ah...yeah. Yeah I knew that.”  
“Did you now?”  
"...I may have momentarily forgotten." Lavi admitted. "Of course you did..." “Yep...can I know your name?"  
"Why should I tell you my name?"  
"Well it's courteous you know, since I told you mine."  
The creature looked him up and down. “...You’re strange.”  
“Have you noticed that you have a tail?”  
“Far too strange for me. Goodbye little human.” he said as he pushed away from the rock.  
"So no name then?" Lavi asked with a grin.  
The merman looked at him, his lips slightly quirking up at the corner. "Not today, perhaps tomorrow."  
"Then I'll see you again?"  
"You sound strangely excited." the merman said.  
Lavi shrugged. "Like I said, it's not everyday I meet someone like you. I can't help it if I'm intrigued."  
"You aren't afraid I'll drown you~?"  
"I figure that as long as I stay out of arm's reach, I should be safe." Lavi said with a wink. Or it might have been just a blink. It was hard to tell with an eye patch.  
The merman looked amused. "Well if you want to see me again, I would advise watching the water." He then slipped beneath the waves.  
Lavi stood there and watched the water, remaining there long after the mythical creature had disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

Lavi had escaped from Bookman yet again the next time he saw the mysterious merman.   
It was much later in the day, as the sun was just about to dip below the horizon. There were clouds to the east that promised heavy rain, but Lavi wasn't ready to go back just yet. He was having a wonderful walk along the beach when he spotted him.   
At first he thought it was a beached dolphin, but as he drew closer he could see what it truly was.   
Thankfully there was no one else near the beach as he approached; that could have caused a few problems that Lavi was more than happy to avoid.   
“You look like you’re in a tight spot.” Lavi said with a smile.  
The merman whirled his head around and frowned. “Oh it's you...and no I’m not.”   
“Really? Because you look beached.”   
“...I’m enjoying the sand.”   
“Who enjoys sand?”   
“...Good point.” the merman sighed in aggravation. He drew a spiral in the sand with his forefinger before speaking again. “Alright, I might be in a bit of a spot.”   
Lavi paused before saying anything. He didn't look nearly as dangerous as he had before, due to being stuck on land, but Lavi was no fool, contrary to popular belief. “Do you want help?”   
“No, I can manage just fine.” came the irritated reply. A small shell was tossed towards the surf, but landed about a foot away, causing the merman to scowl again. He huffed and tossed another one.   
“Are you sure?” Lavi asked, plopping down on the sand next to him. The last time they had met, he hadn’t gotten to see the merman’s tail. It was long, nearly twice the length of his torso, with silvery white, iridescent scales that shone brightly in the dying sunlight. The tail ended in two fins, much like an ordinary fish tail, and they were slightly transparent. There were two more, much smaller fins on either side of his tail, about where his knees would have been, were he human. Even in the little light that was left, Lavi could see some scars along the tail. It made him wonder just what went on below the choppy waves...  
The merman sighed again and laid back on the sand, crossing his arms over his chest. He stared up at the sky before answering. “...I might need a push.”   
Lavi smiled. “Sure. How did you get on the beach anyways?”   
“Ah, I was being chased by a shark and I beached myself on accident.” the merman explained, obviously not happy at all about his current situation.   
“A shark?” Lavi repeated. “Sounds dangerous.”   
“I can outswim most of them, this one just caught me on a bad day.” the merman said. “They’re usually not a problem and lose interest pretty quickly if something easier swims by.”  
“But this one didn't leave you alone I see.” Lavi summarised. “So are there any more of you?”   
“I thought you were going to help me back in the water?”   
“I can’t help that I’m curious!” Lavi smiled sheepishly. “It’s in my nature.”   
The merman rolled his eyes, but there was a certain fondness to his expression. “Rotten human...I suppose I can humor you until you decide you’re through.”   
“Hey now, you make me sound like I’m holding you against your will.”   
A chuckle escaped that mouth full of sharp, sharp teeth. “To answer your question, yes. But I’m the only one around for miles.”   
Lavi’s smile faded a little. “Isn’t that lonely?”   
“No.” the answer was too quick, too fast. “I’m perfectly fine.”   
“Don’t you want someone to talk to?”   
The merman stretched his arms above his head. “Maybe I’m not a social sort of creature.”   
Somehow Lavi doubted that. The sun was well below the horizon at that point, and the stars were beginning to shine.   
“...Will you tell me your name?”   
The merman looked at him. “...Allen.”   
Lavi raised an eyebrow. “Allen? That doesn’t sound like a merperson name.”   
“And what is?” Allen asked, the slightest hint of a smirk on his features.   
“...Point taken.” Lavi mumbled, looking out at the waves. “Well Allen, it’s late and I should head back, so I guess I should help you back into the water now.”   
Allen’s smile turned sheepish. “That would be much appreciated, thanks.”   
With that, Lavi stood up and hooked his arms beneath Allen’s to haul him up. “Um...how should I-”  
“Just take me further into the surf, I’ll be able to do it myself then.” Allen replied.   
Lavi was mourning the loss of his dry shoes as he took Allen further into the water. It was halfway up his shins when Allen finally wriggled free of his grasp and splashed down. He was then able to make his way to deeper water, but he turned around before leaving.   
“I’m guessing we’ll see each other again?” he asked.  
Lavi smiled. “Do you want to?”   
He got a wink in response, and then the merman was gone.   
Lavi quickly made his way out of the water before his pants got any more soaked than they already were. He needed to get back to Bookman, since it was already past the time he said he’s be back. As he walked back home, his mind drifted back to the gorgeous merman named Allen. It started to rain, but he paid it little heed as his mind was filled with images of iridescent scales and soft looking lips...lips? Lavi stopped walking and shook his head. Why was he thinking of lips? That was certainly strange...and yet he couldn't get the image out of his head. Curse his incredible memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed this, it's fun for me too. Another chapter will be on the way :)


	3. Chapter 3

What Allen had said was true. He wasn’t a social sort of creature, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have friends.  
“So I dunno, he’s nice and actually kinda cute...but maybe we’re just too different.” Allen said, resting on a rock that jutted out of the water. He tail moved lazily and the sea breeze gently played with his white hair. He turned his head to his companion. “What do you think Timcanpy?”  
The seagull preened its feathers.  
Allen sighed and plucked a small crab from the rock. “I do want to see him again though...he’s pretty interesting...I wonder how he got that eyepatch. He doesn’t seem like a pirate…”  
Time squawked.  
“Yes yes, Tim, I know.” Allen replied, tossing him the crab. Tim caught the crab in his beak. “But really, what do you think?”  
He didn’t get an answer as the seagull was too busy cracking the shell of the small crab.  
Allen looked towards the shore, a good couple miles away. “I’ve seen him a couple times now, but I don’t think he saw me.”  
_“Squaaawk!”_  
“Oh please, I am not stalking him.” Allen rolled his eyes. “I just happen to be in the same part of the beach.”  
_“Squawk.”_ Even though the seagull was incapable of making expressions, Allen still felt like he was getting _the look._  
“I am not! I can’t even leave the water!” he huffed. “You’re supposed to give me helpful advice, not call me out on things.”  
_“Squaaaawk.”_  
“Tim that just doesn’t make sense.” Allen sighed. “I want to...but I don’t even know what we would do. Talk about the weather? Oh hey there Lavi, how are you? How’s the weather? Yeah that sunshine sure is something! It's not like we see it all the time. And have you seen the morning tide!?”  
_“Squawk!”_  
“See that’s the problem, it’s just not interesting...I have nothing to talk about. He doesn’t want to hear about crabs and fish and the seaweed that got wrapped around my tail this morning.” Allen groaned in frustration. “I’ve never felt so boring.”  
_“Squaaaawk! Squawk!”_ Timcanpy ruffled his tail feathers.  
Allen looked at Timcanpy in surprise. “Do what now?”  
_“Squawk!”_  
Allen groaned. “I mean...that’s an interesting plan...but I have a feeling it would somehow end with me on display.”  
_“Squawk!”_  
“Oh you’ll watch me? Thanks, you’re so comforting.” he breathed out through his nose and looked over towards the far away cliffs. “It’s not too easy over there...but I do want to see him again...oh fine! Fine I’ll do it, I’ll go see her.” he looked at the seagull. “You better be right about this.”  
_“Squaaawk~”_

Timcanpy the seagull was really the only creature that Allen spoke to on a regular basis. But he wasn’t the only one who Allen spoke to.  
“I hate these cliffs!” Allen yelled underwater as the surf tossed him around like a piece of seaweed. He fumbled around at the bottom, grabbing a couple rocks and shells for ammo before the water could drag him away again.  
The cliffs were among the smaller kind; the largest on this side of the shore were only about 30 feet high. The smallest was about 15 feet. Allen himself could only jump out of the water about the same height, much like a dolphin. Once he had a small handful of things to throw, he swam towards the shorter cliffs. He went out a ways, then sped through the water and launched himself through the air, flinging a pebble at the wooden house that was located possibly a little too close to the cliff. It hit the window with a crack, but Allen fell before he could see if the occupant was there. His landing in the water was a little haphazard, and he nearly crashed against a boulder beneath the surface.  
He repeated this until he was out of things to throw, and then he got another handful. After throwing the third rock from the second handful, he finally got a response.  
“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!”  
Allen launched himself up again, catching a glimpse of blonde hair. “Meet me!!”  
“NO!!”  
“Meet me!!”  
“GO AWAY I’M BUSY!!”  
Allen flung himself up in such a way that he was sideways in the air. “It’s important!!”  
“...FINE!”  
Allen grinned and swam towards the small beach near the cliffs. Getting a meeting with the witch was always an adventure in itself, and didn’t happen very often.  
He ended up having to wait for about ten minutes until she finally showed herself, irritated as ever.  
“Ah, you’ve finally arrived.” Allen grinned. “Nice day, isn’t it Eden?”  
The witch rolled her olive green eyes, heavy with black eyeliner. “Just make it quick, I was working on something.”  
Allen had only known Eden for about two years; they had met when a wave had somehow washed him into her small fishing boat.  
“Alright then. I need legs.”  
Eden just stared at him. “...What.”  
“Legs, like yours.” Allen repeated.  
Eden just looked down at her bare feet, nearly hidden beneath a floor-length blood red skirt. She then glanced back up at him. “...Why?”  
Allen cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well...see the thing is…”  
“Eden!!”  
Allen immediately ducked behind a boulder as the witch spun around.  
Eden blushed. A lot. “H-hey Lenalee!” she said clumsily.  
The pretty girl approached her, a small wicker basket in hand with what looked like lavender inside. “I’ve been looking for you!”  
“You have?” Eden wondered if she sounded too hopeful.  
“Of course! I mean, I never really got to thank you for the medicine you gave me.” she smiled, and it made poor Eden’s heart skip. “Brother is doing so much better now.”  
“I-I’m glad it worked for you. Him. Both of you.” she fumbled for her words with a smile.  
“I keep telling him he needs to sleep more, but he just won’t listen.”  
“Ah yeah. Men. Am I right?” Eden said, playing with a loose thread in her shawl. “Just can’t live with them.”  
“Can’t live without them though either.” Lenalee said, that beautiful smile still on her beautiful face.  
“Right.” Sweet Mother Earth those eyes were like amethysts...Eden could look at them all day.  
Lenalee adjusted her basket in her arm and then held out a few sprigs of lavender. “I know it’s not much, but here.”  
Eden was blushing again as she fumbled for words. “Oh thanks! Yes, lavender is great. Love the smell. And the color. Purple I mean. Great color. Really just wonderful.” She swore she heard Allen snickering behind the boulder.  
Lenalee just chuckled. “It is a nice color. So is green.”  
Eden could have died right there.  
“Well I really should get going, I have things to do.” the amethyst eyed girl said. “I’m glad I caught you.”  
“Right. Me too.” Eden said and waved as the girl of her dreams walked back down the beach. When she was gone, Eden glared at the boulder that hid the merman. “If you say one damn word…”  
Allen peered out with a grin. “Who me? Psssssh I would never. But really, that’s why I need legs.”  
“...Because of Lenalee?” Eden asked. She narrowed her eyes. “You-”  
“No, not really her!” Allen cried, raising his hands in defense. “I mean...well…” he sighed. “...There’s a guy…”  
Eden blinked, and then a smirk spread across her face. “Ohhhhh...the Little Merman has a crush on a handsome prince~”  
Allen pouted and Eden cackled, sounding every bit like the witch she was.  
“I never thought I would see the day! Oh this is great!”  
“When you’re done celebrating, can we get back to my issue here?” Allen asked, deadpan.  
Eden flicked her wrist at him. “Yeah yeah, you want a spell, I’m not stupid. However, you will have to wait; I don’t know one off the top of my head.”  
“What?”  
“Do I look like a walking book to you?” Eden rolled her eyes. “I’ll go look for something, just stay put.”  
Allen sighed and leaned against the rock as the witch trekked back to her cottage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hoped you liked my OC Eden, since she is near and dear to my heart. And a special thanks goes to those who have left kudos, you give me life :)


	4. Chapter 4

Eden came back a few hours later, a piece of paper in her hand. Allen was jolted awake by Tim, who had dutifully stayed with his friend.   
“Right, there is a spell for what you need.” Eden said.   
“What,” he paused to yawn. “...took so long?”   
“I had to translate it.” the witch replied. “Not everything is in English. But anyways, I’ll need one of your scales for the spell.” she had her eyes glued to the list and a hand outstretched, waiting for the shimmery scale.   
Allen sighed. “Fine, hold on.”  
“Oh no, don’t act like this is a chore for you, I’m the one doing this spell.”   
Allen braced himself to pluck a scale from his tail. He yelped as it came free and he tossed it to her. “That hurt…”  
“All in the pursuit of love.” Eden replied. “This will take me awhile, so go do whatever it is that you do. Come back here at sunset, it should be done then.”   
Allen raised an eyebrow. “Why will it take so long?”   
She looked at him. “I have to brew it and there are other ingredients. Why do you think I have a list?”   
“Alright, alright I get it.” Allen sighed, flopping back into the water. “Sunset, right?” he looked at the beach again but Eden was already gone. 

“So you don't look nearly as excited about the festival tonight as you should.” Lavi said, looking at his female friend.   
Lenalee looked at him. “Did you say something?”   
“See this is what I mean.” Lavi said. “You’re just...not here. And I’m not sure why.”  
“Mmm.” Lenalee hummed, using her spoon to play with her ice cream. She had managed to drag Lavi out of the library for some time together, since her friend was mostly holed away with studying and cataloguing. They were supposed to be talking about what they were going to do during the town’s foundation festival that night, but Lenalee just couldn’t focus.   
Lavi watched her, scooping the last of his chocolate ice cream out of the old fashioned glass. “...I hear Komui is in charge of the fireworks.”   
“Mhm.”   
“Kanda is going to line-dance.”   
“That’s nice.”  
"I heard that Johnny is going to compete in a pie eating contest."  
"Uh huh."   
“I think I’m going to jump up on stage and propose to Kanda. In front of everyone. I'll have a mariachi band playing.”   
“Sounds like a plan.”  
“Alright Lena, tell me-”  
“I saw Eden today.” she finally said, continuing to play with her ice cream. A bit of strawberry stuck to her spoon.   
Lavi blinked. “Eden? You mean the witch who lives on the cliffs?”   
“Yeah...she helped me out a couple weeks back when Komui was really sick and ended up allergic to the pills the doctor gave us.” she sighed lightly. “I’d always seen her around but I’d never spoken to her before.”   
“I mean...that was nice of her,” Lavi started. “but I’m not sure how that makes you so distracted…” Lavi himself had never really met the witch, what with always being squirreled away with dusty old tomes and things, but he had heard some things. She was rather foul-tempered, and preferred solitude, choosing to live in a little cottage on the cliffs. Many rough storms had come and gone, yet Eden’s cottage was always mysteriously untouched by the wind and waves, leading the more superstitious and fearful people to avoid her entirely.   
Lenalee sort of shrugged. “I was down by the cliffs today, you know, after picking the lavender along the Old Morris farm, and I saw her.” she put her spoon down. “So I thought, why not? I get to chat with her, thank her for the medicine, we’re all happy.”   
“So...what, did she brush you off?” Lavi asked.   
“What? Oh no, the opposite.” Lenalee replied. “She was jittery and kinda nervous…” she sighed in aggravation. “...Lavi I walked in on her and a guy.”   
Lavi stared at her for a minute, trying in vain to keep down a bark of laughter. Lenalee was steadily turning pink at the lack of reaction she was getting. She stabbed her spoon into what was left of the melted ice cream.   
“I mean, she acted like she’d been caught and I definitely saw some guy in the water, but he hid behind a rock before I could get a good look at him.”  
Lavi had to stuff his fist in his mouth.   
“I don’t know what I was trying at, trying to talk to her alone, it was just stupid.” Lenalee said rather miserably. “She was probably so embarrassed...and I was dumb and tried to fl-compliment. Compliment her.”   
Lavi was no longer laughing at this point. “Lenalee...do you like her?”   
The amethyst eyed girl seemed to shrink away from the table.   
Now Lavi felt like an ass. “Oh...I didn’t know-”  
“I didn’t tell you.” she said. “I...I think I’ve hidden it pretty well, I’m not surprised...and it’s not like she comes around a lot…”   
“Do you know who she was with?”   
Lenalee shook her head. “No, I didn’t get a very good look, but I knew it was a man. I could tell by the shoulders.”  
Lavi tilted his head a bit. “How long have you liked her?”   
Lenalee paused. “...Maybe two years? A little longer? I remember bumping into her one morning on the cliffs when I went to look for flowers. She...Lavi she was so pretty…” Lenalee blushed a little. “You should have seen her hair that day...and she’s got the prettiest eyes…we didn’t talk long, but she’s so interesting. I’ve spent my life surrounded by machines and science, and she’s always surrounded by plants and the ocean and...”   
Lavi was smiling now. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”   
“Well there’s no point now, is there?” Lenalee sighed. “She was seeing someone else.” 

“If you throw one more pebble at my house, I’m going to cook you into a stew.” Eden snarled when she finally brought the potion to the impatient merman. "And boy do I love seafood."   
Allen sighed as Timcanpy pecked at a rock nearby. “But it’s been forever! You said sunset, and it's past that.”  
“It’s been two hours.”   
_"Squaaaawk!"_  
“Not the point Tim.”  
Eden rolled her eyes. “Whatever. We need to discuss payment.”   
“Oh come on!”   
“Oi, these ingredients were not easy to come by.” Eden said. “And it’s very simple really. The potion will last until…” she checked her watch. “It’s around 7 right now, so it’ll last until 7 tomorrow morning. That’s as long as I could make it.”   
Allen nodded. He would have liked it to be longer but he couldn’t exactly complain.   
“So here’s what I want. When the potion ends and the spell breaks, I would like you to find me a handful of pearls.”   
Allen raised a snowy brow. “...That’s all?”   
“That’s all.”   
“You just want pearls?”   
Eden rolled her eyes again. “Look, I obviously can’t swim as well as you can, and it just seems like a win - win. Sound good?”   
"That girl from earlier likes pearls, doesn't she?"   
"DO YOU WANT THIS OR NOT?!"  
Allen grinned at her obvious irritation. “It sounds too easy but sure, I’ll do it.”   
Eden's anger faded and she smiled. She then handed him the murky teal colored potion. It was in a plain bottle with a cork stopper. “Hurry up and take it, there’s a foundation festival tonight or something and I think it's time I mingle with the common folk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this chapter, and I'm really honestly so, so happy and motivated to know that you all like it so far!! :D Thanks for reading!!


	5. Chapter 5

Eden looked at the outfit with a critical eye. “Blue does seem to be your color...sorry I don’t have any shoes, I never wear them.”  
Allen looked up at her. “I can’t believe that you didn’t realize that I would need human clothes after taking the potion.”  
“It just didn’t cross my mind.”  
The former merman looked back into the mirror to once again survey the dress he was wearing. It had a low neckline, just below his shoulders, and it was as blue as the sky on a cloudless day. It was longer in the back, reaching his mid-calf, while in the front it was much shorter, going to just about his mid-thigh. The sleeves were short and kinda puffy, giving off a cute vibe. Overall, it went very nicely with Allen’s white hair and silver eyes.  
“You’ll turn some heads, that’s for sure.” Eden grinned. “I prefer black though.”  
Allen smirked into the mirror. “And purple.”  
Eden twitched a little, and took a deep breath before speaking again. “Right. Well then let’s head to town. How’s walking?”  
“Not as difficult as before.” Allen replied. The change had been rather painful, with his tail splitting into two appendages, and walking had been an immense chore. With some practice he could make it across the room, though he still felt pins and needles.  
Getting into the cottage in the first place had been something else entirely.  
Eden turned, her skirt swirling about. “Good, because I have don’t have much in the way of transportation.” True to her word, she was also barefoot. Eden was wearing her trademark floor-length blood red skirt, paired with a black tank top. Multiple necklaces adorned her neck, all with some trinket or stone of some significance at the end. Her eyes were heavy with the black eyeliner again and she had in her favorite hoop earrings that dangled beneath her short, curly blonde hair.  
The two of them began the trek into town, with Timcanpy flying ahead of them, hoping to find people distracted from their food.  
It looked like it was going to be a nice night for the festival, and Allen couldn't help but be excited and nervous. There would be so many humans there...and Lavi would be there too. That was exciting all by itself. “So…” Allen began, watching Timcanpy fly towards the town until he couldn't see the bird in the dark sky anymore. “...If you like her so much, why haven’t you pursued her?”  
Eden sighed and rolled her eyes. “Have you seen her? She’s so far out of my league she's not even visible to me. That's how far away she is. But it doesn’t matter. Most of the time I see her, she’s with this guy.” she paused a moment and then shook herself. “But enough about me! What about this prince of yours?” she grinned at Allen’s frown.  
“He’s not a prince, I just met him along the rocks one day...he’s handsome, he’s interesting...and well he didn’t run screaming and attract a huge crowd, so that’s a plus.”  
Eden laughed.  
“I’m serious, it’s kind of important. I don’t know what he does though; he’s got an eyepatch, so I thought maybe some kind of piracy, but he’s on land too much.”  
“You would fall for a pirate.”  
“He’s not a pirate, he just looks like one.” Allen pouted. “I can’t really explain it...I just...I feel pulled. I want to be with him…” he sighed. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this…”  
“It’s a long walk. Keep talking.” 

The fireworks went off at 9, right on schedule. Thankfully Komui was not in charge of them, or else the show would have been far too...extravagant and probably would have somehow spelled out Lenalee’s name. Instead the scientist was chatting with some of his peers while Lavi and Lenalee were watching the marvelous display. The whole town was lit up and decorated, and the band would start playing after the fireworks had ended. Lavi had tried to get Kanda to come, but he skulked off somewhere else. The red head took a deep breath, relishing in the wonderful smells of whatever Jerry was cooking over in his section of the festival. He would have to head over there soon before the rest of the crowd had similar ideas. Nothing beat Jerry's cooking after all.  
“They look great!” Lenalee cheered as a red one exploded. “Whoever did it this year deserves props.”  
Lavi nodded in agreement as a gold one went off, followed by a light blue. "Didn't a shed catch on fire last year?"  
"Pretty sure that happened, yeah." Lenalee chuckled. "It was still fun though, since no one was seriously hurt."  
"Kanda threatened to knock me out! For no reason besides breathing in his direction!"  
"First of all, Kanda always threatens to knock you out. Secondly, he never actually hit you. Thirdly, you weren't completely innocent, you braided his ponytail without permission."  
Lavi pouted. "Well it's not like he would have given permission if I asked..."  
His friend sighed and shook her head. "Lavi, one of these days you're going to get yourself into trouble."  
Lavi winked. "Ah, but I'll get out of it~"  
The amethyst eyed girl turned her head when she heard her brother call her. She could see him waving her over and sighed, though there was a fond smile on her face. “I’ll be back Lavi, I heard Komui.” she waved as she walked off towards her brother.  
Lavi was left by himself as he watched the show. It really was impressive, and at the back of his mind he wondered if Allen was watching too. How would those iridescent scales look with the colorful lights bouncing off them? Probably stunning…  
Lavi shook his head a bit. This was ridiculous, they weren't even the same species...and Bookman would have his head on a silver platter if he ever got wind of this ‘crush’.  
“Lavi, I found you!”  
Lavi had to blink once, then twice before he was able to turn around and face the voice he had just heard. He _couldn’t_ have heard right...right?  
Apparently he did.  
There was Allen, barefoot and in a dress - which he looked _gorgeous_ in - but most noticeably, he was standing. He was standing on land with two pale legs.  
... _Legs_?  
“...Allen?” Lavi asked, wondering if he was seeing things.  
Allen smiled. “Surprised? Yeah I still sort of am too…it's strange having two instead of one.”  
Lavi took his arm and pulled him aside, out of the crowd of people still watching the fireworks display. “How did this happen?”  
Allen faltered. “...Is this a problem?”  
“No!” Lavi shouted, then immediately quieted and drew them both further away. “No it isn’t, I just...never expected this.” he smiled a bit. “But I am happy to see you.”  
The former merman’s smile returned. “I had Eden help out; this is her sort of business after all.”  
Lavi tilted his head a bit. “The witch?” He was hearing more and more about her lately.  
“Yes, that’s her. I was discussing it with her earlier today by the cliffs.”  
Slowly, Lavi began to put two and two together. So then the mysterious man Lenalee had seen earlier...oh this was too perfect. He grinned. “Hey Allen, I would like you to meet a friend of mine tonight.”  
“I would really like to try some of your food too. I hear you humans have hot meals.” Allen’s eyes were as wide as clam shells. "That sounds fascinating."  
Lavi couldn’t help but laugh as he led Allen through the town to look for Lenalee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, it's a lot of fun writing each chapter! Let me know what you guys think with a comment or a kudos. :)


	6. Chapter 6

“Lavi wait!” Allen cried, grabbing his arm and leading him in a different direction. "Let's go over here first!"  
Lavi turned to see what Allen was so excited about. Ah, the food. Lavi had to admit, it smelled _divine_. After all, there weren’t just regional foods at Jerry’s stall; he had made it a sort of personal mission to make food from all over the world.   
Jerry snapped some tongs as they approached.   
“Well hello there Lavi! And who is this strapping young thing on your arm?”   
“Ah, this is Allen. He’s visiting from another town.” Lavi quickly lied. It was a decent cover, but he was wishing that he had gotten some warning earlier, so he could have come up with a better story.   
Allen waved, his smile absolutely dazzling, though it served as a quick reminder to Lavi just _how sharp those teeth were_. “Hello!”   
Jerry almost squealed. “Oh my God he’s so cute! Tell me darlin, are you hungry? I’ll make you anything on the menu you want!”  
Allen blinked and looked at the menu beside the booth. “Absolutely anything I want?”   
“You heard right cutie pie!”   
The merman grinned. “Okay!" he paused before speaking. "Um...what do you recommend?” On the menu beside the booth were pictures that Allen had never seen before. He could only assume that they were food, given where he was standing, but he still had no idea what he was doing.   
“Everything tastes great tonight, and I've got food from all over the world, but if you’re looking for sweet, I would go with the Mitarashi Dango.” Jerry replied happily.   
“I’ve never had that before.” Allen said with a smile. “Sure, I’ll try that one!” he smiled at Lavi, who had been looking at him the whole time. “What?”   
Lavi grinned. “You know, I’ve just noticed, but you’re kinda short.”   
“Pardon?”   
“I think I’ll call you Shortstack from now on!”  
“No, my name is Allen.” the merman frowned, even as he took the sweet treat from Jerry. It was nothing like he’d ever seen; little pale colored balls of something dripping with a golden glaze of some sort. It smelled absolutely _heavenly_ though.   
“Oh! Even better!” Lavi clapped his hands together, mischief written all over his face. “Beansprout!”   
Allen sputtered indignantly.   
“That’s it, I’m calling you Beansprout.”   
“My name’s Allen!”   
Jerry waved as the two of them walked away. “Bye bye now, enjoy the festival and feel free to come back for more!!”  
Lavi laughed and slung an arm around Allen’s neck. “Come on Sprout, let’s see what this festival has to offer!”  
“It’s Allen!” the merman sputtered indignantly before biting into the dessert. After a few chews, he froze.   
Lavi looked at him in concern. “Sprout? Allen?”  
“Lavi…” Allen looked at him, eyes sparkling. “ _This is the best thing I’ve ever had_!!!!”   
That was how most of the night went. Allen tried many new things at the festival, each time proclaiming that it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted - though really, nothing could beat the dango he had tried first. It was definitely his favorite food choice of the night.   
“Oh wow , what’s that over there?” Allen asked aloud after finishing his fifth snack of the night, a belgian waffle with powdered sugar. He head over towards a stall that wouldn’t have been uncommon at all inside an art fair. It was one of those little stalls that sold handmade jewelry. This one in particular had necklaces of brightly colored cord, with little handmade porcelain pendants at the end, also in bright colors.   
Lavi went to stand beside his date to see which one had caught his attention.   
“They look amazing…” Allen said. "How are they made like that? And how do they get so shiny? It must take forever to polish them..."   
The little old lady running the stall chuckled. “My my, aren’t you a sweet young man!” she smiled. "It takes a lot of skill, but I've been doing this for a few decades now."   
Allen looked up at her. "That long?! You must be a master of your craft then!"   
The old lady merely smiled at him.   
The merman pointed to one in particular. “Lavi it looks like a starfish.” he said with grin.   
The necklace he was pointing to had black and silver cord, with a bright red star as the pendant at the end. The star itself was about the size of a quarter, and had a glossy finish.   
Lavi smiled. “You like that one?”   
Allen nodded with a grin.   
The redhead glanced at the old lady. “I’ll take that one.”  
“Lavi you don’t have to-”  
“You should have something other than food to remember this night by.” Lavi interrupted with a wink. “Besides, it’s not trouble at all.”   
Allen’s smile was soft, yet blinding. “Thank you Lavi.” he said as he was handed the necklace. When it was on him, it rested nicely across his upper chest, a stark contrast to his pale skin and the blue of the dress. Lavi felt a bubble of happiness swell inside his chest.   
They continued to walk around the town, taking in more of the sights. Every now and then Allen would drag him off to another stall or a particularly interesting potted plant. At first Lavi was a bit perplexed but then reminded himself that Allen probably didn't see many things like flowers under the ocean.   
The next time Lavi looked at the clock, it was nearly midnight. He was quite surprised, since really, the town wasn’t all that big, what with a population of around 1,000. Maybe. There hadn’t really been a census in about 25 years, so it was a bit of a toss up.   
The crowds were beginning to thin out and Lavi started looking around for Lenalee while Allen chatted in the background. After all, he still had to tell her-  
“I’LL KILL THAT FUCKING BIRD!!!”  
Everyone in the vicinity turned their heads to see what the commotion was about, but everyone already knew who it was.   
Yuu Kanda - heaven help anyone who actually called him Yuu - also known as the town’s professional asshole and martial arts expert. He had some interesting anger issues, but Lavi still considered him as his best friend.   
Mostly because it pissed him off. “Too mushy” as he would say.   
But really, he, Kanda and Lenalee had been friends since childhood, so Lavi knew deep down that he had every right in the world to call Kanda his “best friend in the whole wide world”. Kanda threatened him daily for it.  
At the moment, Kanda was busy brandishing the nearest weapon he could get - a metal pipe - at a seagull that had just delivered a lovely package right on his shoulder.   
Some of the crowd started laughing, but those who were smart and valued their limbs walked quickly in the opposite direction.   
Lavi was not one of those.   
He was doubled over in laughter when he heard Allen’s yell.   
“Wait no, TIM!” he cried, dropping an empty skewer and racing forward. Lavi didn’t have time to stop him before the merman attempted to body slam Kanda. The most he did was shove him a bit, and Allen bounced off him like a rubber ball hitting a brick wall. He fell back onto the ground, right on his ass.   
The distraction let Timcanpy the seagull fly away safely, but then Kanda’s attention was turned to Allen.   
“Who the fuck are you?!”  
Oh this night was getting better and better...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, I liked introducing Kanda in this chapter XD Feel free to leave a comment or a kudos! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Allen glared at the raven haired man who had swung the pipe with such ferocity. “My name is Allen, and you were attacking my friend!”   
Kanda blinked. “What? Your friend? It was a seagull!”   
“That’s not just any seagull, his name is Timcanpy!”   
Lavi quickly approached the two and interrupted before Kanda could open his mouth again.   
“Ah Yuu!” he cried, gaining the man's attention.  
The deadly glare was turned onto him. “Don’t call me that!!”  
“But Yuu we’re- _ohwowthatlooksdangerous_!!!!” Lavi babbled as he ducked, just barely missing a swing from the pipe.   
“Hey!!” Allen yelled, standing and brushing the dirt off his dress. He hoped Eden wouldn't be upset about that. Then again, she didn’t seem to own shoes, so she probably didn’t mind a little dirt. “Don’t hurt him!!”  
Kanda huffed. “You never answered my question Shortstack, who are you?!”  
“MY NAME’S ALLEN!!!”  
Kanda rolled his eyes. “Like I care.”  
“Then why did you ask?!”  
Lavi stepped between the two before a fight could break out. “Alright, alright let’s just simmer down now!”   
“What?! But he attacked Timcanpy!!”  
“Who the fuck is Timcanpy?”  
“The seagull!”  
“It shit on me!!” Kanda gestured to his soiled shirt.   
“He’s my friend, I won't let you hurt him.” Allen replied stubbornly.  
Kanda looked at him with a deadpan expression. “Oh this is some Disney Princess level shit…”  
“...What?”  
“Kanda?”  
The three of them turned to the new voice, who thankfully was Lenalee. She looked at them in surprise.   
“What’s going on?” she then paused for a moment, taking in Allen’s person. “...Have I seen you before?”  
Allen smiled nervously. “No, no I don't think so…”  
Lenalee gasped. “You!!! You’re the guy Eden was with on the beach!!!!”  
Allen looked at Lavi in worry but didn't say anything, not wanting to blow his cover.   
The amethyst eyed girl looked between them. “But I thought...aren't you with Eden?”  
“No!” Lavi cried. “No uh...no Lena, they're just friends.”  
“...I’m too sober for this shit.” Kanda grumbled, walking away. “I need a clean shirt…damn seagull.”  
No one really paid him any kind as he walked away; they were too busy with the newest revelation.   
Allen blinked. “Yes. Yes we are friends and OH.” he smiled sheepishly. “Right...I guess you did see me...but um...yes just friends.”  
“...You’re wearing one of her dresses.”  
“I ah...lost my clothes.”  
Lavi sighed. This wasn't helping… “Lenalee, let's go somewhere more private, we’ll tell you the whole story.”  
Allen twitched as Lavi began to lead them away. “We will?”  
“Yes Allen, we will.”  
“Will what?”  
Lavi cursed under his breath as Eden came into view from behind a shop, a wicker basket full of wrapped objects under her arm. “Well now it’s just a party!!”  
Eden looked hopelessly confused. “...What?”  
“We’ve got a story to tell.” Lavi sighed.   
She stared for a moment before pointing at Lavi and yelling. “WAIT IT’S _YOU_?!”   
Lavi could only sigh. This was proving to be quite a predicament for them all, but hopefully it would soon be resolved.   
As they were just about to leave the outskirts of town, Allen managed to trip and fall flat on his face. Lavi, who was behind him, got quite an eyeful as the skirt of the dress briefly flew up in the air…  
He stood there for a minute, his one good eye wide as Allen stood and rubbed his sore knees.  
“...You’re not wearing anything under that are you...EDEN!!!”  
“What, you think I’ve just got boxers laying around my house? What kind of woman do you think I am Bookman?”  
“Guys please don’t argue.” Lenalee said, looking at the two of them. “Let’s just get this story out, it’s past midnight.”   
"What would I wear underneath?" Allen asked aloud, confused as to why Lavi's face was so red.   
Lavi was doing his absolute best to ignore how cute Allen was when he was confused, but it was _so damn hard_. Those wide silver eyes and that dangerously innocent smile would be the death of him, he just knew it. It was bound to happen.   
“Right, so this is what’s been going on…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a lot for reading!! It was a but shorter this time, I know. Feel free to leave a comment or kudos, it would make me very happy. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Lenalee tried very, _very_ hard not to openly stare at Allen once she learned he was really a merman, just under a spell courtesy of Eden. He sure did look otherworldly enough to be one...with the silvery eyes and snowy white hair. He looked almost delicate too, but she doubted he was fragile; it couldn’t have been easy to live in the ocean, with all the still unknown creatures that lurked in the deep. He was perched on top of a boulder, the wind softly rustling his hair. Lenalee glanced at Lavi and smiled when she noticed that he couldn't take his eyes - or rather, eye - off Allen either.  
“Wait wait wait wait.” Eden said, holding up her hands. It was fairly dark, with only the light of a nearby street light for visibility. “So this means...that you aren’t dating Lenalee?”  
The aforementioned girl spun to face the witch. “What? No of course not, why would you think that?”  
Eden’s cheeks were pink. “Well whenever I saw you in town, you were with him...and you looked really happy so I just thought...well...you know...”  
“We’re just friends though.” Lenalee said, her smile growing.  
“I’m also gay.” Lavi spoke, raising his hand. “So there would really be no point; no offense Lena.”  
“None taken.”  
Allen looked between the two girls with a grin. “Great! Now you two can finally get together!”  
Eden whirled to him with a snarl, face even redder. “Why you-”  
Lenalee’s face was also quite pink as she came to understand the situation. So then...if she understood correctly what Allen was insinuating...did that mean… “Eden?” she asked aloud, stopping the witch in her tracks. “...Do you like me?”  
Eden’s face resembled a tomato at that point. She sputtered, trying to find her words. “I-I mean I don’t dislike you, I think you’re neat and um well I mean...I just think...well I uh…”  
Lenalee smiled as Eden stuttered. She walked closer to her and tilted her head down to give the witch a kiss on the cheek.  
The kiss was simple and sweet, nothing more, but it had the power behind it to turn Eden into a statue.  
“...I like you too Eden.” she smiled.  
The witch did her best not to swoon right there.  
Lavi turned to Allen and wiggled his eyebrows at the merman. The gesture went right over his head however, and he just looked at Lavi with a confused expression. It really was terribly cute. His expression slowly changed to one of annoyance however, and he looked down at his legs.  
“You okay Allen?” Lavi asked.  
“I’m kinda tingly…” the merman replied. “Lavi what time is it?”  
“I don’t have a watch.”  
“I do!” Lenalee announced, checking her wrist. “It’s around 3 AM.”  
Allen turned his gaze to Eden, who was finally on her way back to the present. “It’s not supposed to end until 7, _you said 7_.” There was a note of panic in his voice that was growing more prominent and was impossible to ignore.  
“That’s what it’s supposed to do, yeah.” Eden said, watching in slight concern as Allen's expression and demeanor grew more and more panicked, and his breathing was getting more rapid. “I maxed out the spell to last for 12 hours, it shouldn’t be ending now!”  
Lavi’s irritation grew with his concern for Allen, who was very obviously entering a world of pain. “What do you _mean_ it only lasted 12 hours?! You're a witch, couldn't you have made it last longer!?”  
“Lavi!”  
“Yeah I am a witch, and I got the damn thing to work in the first place _so you're welcome for bending the laws of fucking nature_.”  
“I-I think I need to get back to the water.” Allen said, looking quite pale. His legs had gained a pearly sort of sheen to them, one that was not normally seen on human legs, and they shone in the moonlight.  
“I don’t think I can carry your by myself.” Lavi said in an apologetic tone. Lenalee quickly began to look around for something to help.  
“Eden!” Lavi said, turning to the witch. “Hurry and help me lift him!”  
“What?!” Eden yelled. “I can’t lift him! I could barely get him on shore when he took the potion!”  
Allen groaned.  
“But I’ll be helping you, we might be able to do it together!”  
“Here!” Lenalee yelled, coming back to the group with a squeaking, rusted wheelbarrow. “Just lift him into this!”  
Lavi didn’t bother to question his friend as he scooped Allen up with a grunt and nearly threw him in the wheelbarrow. Then Lenalee was off like a shot, pushing the wheelbarrow before her. Lavi and Eden quickly ran after her and caught up.  
“Where’s the shore?!” Lavi yelled. It wasn’t easy to keep pace with Lenalee, but he was doing his best. Eden wasn’t doing any better, and almost tripped a few times.  
“Somewhere up ahead!” the witch replied.  
“We’re on an island, that’s a given!”  
“Shut your trap Bookman!”  
“Don’t argue!” Lenalee reprimanded the two. The wheelbarrow flew over a bump, nearly toppling both it and the girl who was pushing it at a speed that is not recommended to try at home.  
Allen seemed to curl in on himself. “I hope it’s close owowowowowowow…”  
Suddenly, Lavi saw what was quickly coming up. “Is that a-”  
“CLIFF!” Eden screamed, grabbing onto Lenalee to try and stop the momentum of the wheelbarrow. However, it wasn’t enough, and none of them could stop in time. The group practically flew off the rocky cliff and crashed into the churning waters below. Eden and Lenalee screamed, Lavi released a string of curses and Allen hit the dark water headfirst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terribly sorry this took so long, I've had some...personal issues I've been working through. So it's been kinda hard to write. But I hope you liked the new chapter! :) Thanks so much for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

The girls and Lavi broke through the choppy surface as the wheelbarrow sank.   
“Everyone okay?!” Lenalee yelled, trying to get her hair out of her eyes.   
Lavi looked around wildly. “Allen!? Allen!!”   
“Shit!” Eden yelled. “Shit it’s so dark! FUCK!”   
“Just,” Lenalee coughed. “Swim for shore!”  
“Which way is the shore?!” Lavi cried, trying to stay afloat in the choppy waters. “Allen!”  
A white head bobbed up to the surface. “This way!” the merman ordered, grabbing Lavi’s hand and tugging him. The two girls were able to follow, with some difficulty, but they made it.   
Lenalee dragged herself onto the shore and Eden flopped beside her. “We made it…” she breathed.   
Eden groaned. “I’m gonna kill them both…”   
Lavi stayed in waist deep water. “Allen, are you okay?”   
The merman smiled, brushing his white hair from his face. “I’m fine...thank you for tonight Lavi. I had a great time...except for the wheelbarrow.”   
The redhead laughed sheepishly. “Ah yeah...that’s one for the history books…”   
“...I want to see you again.” Allen began. “But...I can’t do another potion.”   
Lavi nodded. “I understand...we’ll set something up.”   
Allen smiled and put his hands on Lavi’s face. The merman gently pulled the human down into a wet, cold kiss. He tasted like salt and sea breezes, and Lavi loved every second of it. He tasted like _freedom_.   
It wasn’t long before Lavi pulled away. “I should...I should get back to shore. It’s kinda chilly.”  
“That’s right, you can’t be ill for our next date!” Allen said with a grin that was just a little too sad for Lavi’s liking. The moonlight lit up those silver eyes, and Lavi was just entranced by them.   
He nodded. “Right...meet me tomorrow morning at the cove by Eden’s.”   
Allen smiled once more before releasing Lavi’s face and slipping back into the water. “Oh, and tell Eden I’ll return the dress tomorrow.” Then he was gone in an instant, disappearing back into the dark, dangerous waves.   
Lavi sighed to himself and made his way back to shore.   
“Ugh I am soaked.” Eden grumbled as she stood. She tried in vain to get the sand out of her hair, but that only succeeded in making her angrier. “And I left my basket on the cliff…”   
Lenalee sat up. “We can get it tomorrow. I hope no one looks for their missing wheelbarrow…”   
Eden looked at Lavi as he approached. “So? How’d it go?”  
Lavi plastered a smile on. “It went just fine. We’re going to meet again tomorrow.”   
A blonde eyebrow rose. “And do what?”   
“I’ll let you know when I find out.”   
Lenalee smiled at them. “I’m sure you’ll find something fun to do. In the meantime, we should get back somewhere dry. We’ll all get sick at this rate.” she stood, wringing water from her skirt. “My house is closest, we can just go there.”   
Lavi looked at her nervously. “Ah...thanks for the offer Lena but I don’t think Komui would be too pleased at you bringing home a guy at 3AM…”   
“What am I, chopped liver?” Eden deadpanned.   
Lenalee waved his concerns away with a flick of her wrist. “Oh please, it’ll be fine. Komui won’t do anything to you, I promise.” 

“Sooooo…” Komui smiled. He was in a fluffy bathrobe, with pink bunny slippers, and was polishing what looked like some kind of comic book inspired hand-held laser. “Lavi, why are you bringing home my precious sister _soaking wet at 3 in the morning? I’m sure it’s a terribly exciting story_.”  
Lavi hid behind Eden, who rolled her eyes. Sometimes he hated being right, he really, really did.   
Lenalee put her hands on her hips. “Oh please brother, Lavi hasn’t done anything. We got wet at the beach and needed somewhere to dry off.”   
Komui eyed Lavi suspiciously. “You just can’t be too careful Lenalee...you never know what they’re thinking…”   
The amethyst eyed girl sighed. “Komui…”   
The man immediately smiled. “Yes yes, you can all dry off inside.” he turned and grinned at the young redhead. “Lavi, would you like to see-”  
“Nope!” Lavi cried, raising his hands in the universal gesture of innocence. “No I’m fine, thank you!”   
Komui looked at the witch. “Eden, right? I didn’t know you and Lenalee were friends.”   
Eden’s cheeks turned pink again. “...Best friends.”  
Lenalee blushed a little and busied herself with brushing sand off her clothes.   
Lavi, despite his fear of imminent death, couldn’t help but snort.  
“Come on in guys,” Lenalee said, pulling them both inside. “Don’t mind the robots, Brother tends to use the whole house as his workspace.”   
They went inside and stood by a fire to dry off. The house looked like a science lab’s closet had exploded all its contents. There were large jars of nuts, bolts, screws, and other metallic odds and ends. Unfinished projects littered nearly every surface except the couch in the front room with the fireplace, and the kitchen counters. Blueprints were either hung on the fridge or stacked in uneven piles off to the side. It was a picture of chaos, but both the Lee siblings navigated the mess with perfect ease. Komui made them tea, and Eden was quite pleased.   
“Did you all enjoy the festival?” Komui asked, sipping a mug of coffee. The mug had a pink bunny on the side of it.  
“It was certainly a night to remember.” Eden said, trying to discreetly shake the sand out of her hair. She didn’t want to make a mess in Lenalee’s house after all...especially with her brother watching.   
Lenalee nodded. “It really was; the fireworks show was great! Who did it this year?”   
“I believe you’ll have to thank Tiedoll for that.” Komui replied.  
“Ah, that makes sense.” Lavi said, pulling a chair away from the kitchen table and sitting down.   
“It’s late, but is anyone hungry?” Komui asked. “Jerry gave me some leftovers from his stand.”   
Three hands shot up in the air and Komui laughed. 

Allen had removed the dress when he had gotten to his favorite shallows, coincidentally near the cliffs by Eden’s house. He really wasn’t sure what to do with it, so in the end he laid it on top of a rock. The seawater would have ruined it anyways.   
She’d have to come looking for it eventually.  
Timcanpy had pecked his head quite fiercely when he found his love-struck merman, due to having lost him after the incident with Kanda.   
“I get it Tim, I get it.” Allen whined, rubbing his sore head. “It’s not like I meant to lose you!”  
“ _Squawk_!”  
“Did you want to deal with that guy? Because I certainly didn’t. And you got away anyways.” He scowled. “I, on the other hand got knocked right on my-“  
“ _Squawk_!”  
Allen smiled. “Yeah...I did have a nice time. It was shorter than I expected...but it was nice...I even got to kiss him…”  
Timcanpy ruffled his feathers.   
“I know you can’t kiss Tim, but he’s a really good kisser…”   
“ _Squawk_.”  
“I know I haven’t kissed anyone before...but hey, I can still think he’s a good kisser.” Allen pouted. “Just because I don’t really have experience doesn’t mean I don’t know anything.”   
“ _Squawk_!”  
The merman laughed. “I think I do...we’ve decided to meet again, tomorrow morning.” he sighed wistfully. “I wonder what we’ll do...maybe we can go swimming...after all, I got to see his world. Maybe now he should see mine.”   
“ _Squawk_!”  
“Hm?” Allen’s dreamy gaze turned to his seagull friend. “What was that?”  
“ _Squawwwk_!”   
Allen blinked, coming back to reality. “Pearls? What do you mean pearls- _oh crabs_.”   
And with that, the merman dove back under the water to find the pearls that would serve as payment to the foul-tempered witch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to leave a kudos or a comment!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the last chapter! Thank you all for reading, I appreciate it. This story will also be cross-posted on ff.net under the name RhiannonWolf. Enjoy!

Eden almost, _almost_ wished that she'd given a second thought to making jewelry out of the pearls.

Allen had attacked her window with a barrage of small stones at precisely 6:38 AM, just as she had laid down in bed. If there had ever been a moment where the witch was close to actually killing someone, it was that morning. But thankfully Allen left her presence unscathed, and Eden could take the nap she was so desperate for. She got about four hours of blissful, uninterrupted sleep. A longer nap, of course, would have been better, but she had things to do. She and Lenalee had agreed to meet on the beach before dinner time to look for the wheelbarrow, and she wanted to try and finish something with the pearls. Probably a necklace, bracelets just got in the way…

Allen had given the witch a handful of off-white pearls, and Eden was determined not to break any of them.

She broke four.

In the end, and due to a very careful usage of a spell, Eden had completed her task. As there had only been six pearls left undamaged, there were knots on either side of the string to hold them in place. The cord itself was tan twine, and while it looked a little crude, there was still hope that Lenalee would like it.

The witch found the pretty girl not too far from the cottage on the cliff. There was a steady breeze blowing, and the blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds.

"Oh!" Lenalee said when she saw her. "I was just coming to see if you were home. Shall we go find the wheelbarrow?"

With that smile, Eden had a feeling that she would have agreed to almost anything.

"We might not even find it." She said.

Lenalee shrugged. "Then…we'll get to spend some time together. We haven't hung out much in the past…and well with the…recent development…"

Eden allowed herself a small smile. "Walking on the beach with you sounds nice…I mean it's the beach. It's always nice to walk on the beach, who doesn't like to walk on the beach? And you'll be there and I'll be there and yes spending time together sounds like it could be fun-" she paused when she heard a soft chuckle.

The amethyst eyed girl held her fist over her mouth. Her eyes were sparkling with fondness and no small amount of mischief. "…You're kind of cute when you start to ramble like that."

Eden blushed, and found herself unable to speak. Part of her thought that perhaps she would never get out of the habit of this reaction; Lenalee's compliments made her feel both strangely whole, and like she was about to die.

When there was no response other than staring, Lenalee shook her head fondly and then reached out to take the other girl's hand in hers. "Let's get going and look for that wheelbarrow."

It took every ounce of self-restraint and strength Eden possessed to not jump out of her skin at the soft touch. Her day couldn't have gotten any better, it really couldn't have. Hand holding? It felt like a huge step; it had to be a milestone, it just had to be.

"Oh uh," Eden fumbled for words as she gathered the necklace in her hand from a pocket. "I um…" she paused and looked back at the girl, the words stuck in her throat. She just couldn't speak. No words ever seemed good enough. There was always the feeling of having so much to say, but she never really knew what.

Lenalee quirked an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"…I hope you like pearls." She mumbled. The necklace was hastily offered to Lenalee, and Eden's blush reached her ears.

The pretty dark haired girl blinked at the sudden offering, and held it up to see it better. It wasn't very long, and if she put it on, the length of pearls would have rested just below her collarbone. It was clearly a handmade gift, and Lenalee was touched to receive such a thing. She moved her deep purple gaze to the witch. "Eden…it's beautiful, thank you!"

Eden ran a hand through her hair and cleared her throat. "I-it's no big deal…do…do you like it?"

In response, Lenalee immediately put on the jewelry. She grinned at her friend once it was on. "I love it."

Lenalee was _radiant_. The look on her face put all the beautiful sunsets and breathtaking storms that Eden had seen in her life to shame. Nothing could compare to that smile, and nothing ever would.

It made Eden's heart pound. "…I'm really glad you do."

The two of them walked off, hand in hand down the beach to find that stupid wheelbarrow that Eden was pretty sure no one even cared about. But it meant she got to spend time with Lenalee, so the witch decided she would search the whole beach meticulously. It could even take the rest of the day…if she was lucky.

XXX

Lavi was on the beach in the afternoon. Bookman had left town earlier that morning, to go get book binding supplies or something like that, so Lavi knew he would have what was left of the day pretty much all to himself. What he didn't know, however, was what he and Allen were going to do, but they had planned to meet. He knew Allen frequented the shallows near the cliffs where Eden lived, and that's where they had planned to meet, so he sat on a boulder and waited for the other to appear. The sun was blazing overhead, and he was beginning to wish he had brought along some sort of hat to keep the sun off him.

Thankfully, Lavi had not been waiting too long when a seagull glided over to him and perched on a rock not far away.

" _Squawk_! _Squawwwwk_!"

Lavi looked at the bird. "…Tim? Right?" he then laughed a little and shook his head. "I am talking to a seagull. Never thought I would say that and mean it."

" _Squawk_."

"He wants to know if you have food."

Lavi turned his head and saw Allen's grinning face. He was halfway in the water, his arms resting on some rock. "Morning!"

The redhead smiled. "Morning? It's past noon. And no I didn't think to bring food."

Allen waved off Lavi's correction of the time looked at the bird. "He doesn't have any Tim, I would try the port."

The seagull ruffled his feathers, gave one last squawk and then flew off in the direction of the town. Lavi turned back to the merman.

"So what did you have in mind today?"

Allen pushed off the rock. "I never did give you those swimming lessons, did I?"

Lavi laughed and stood. "No, I don't think so…hmm…can I trust you?"

The merman's tail moved lazily in the water, shimmering in the sunlight. "What do you think?"

"I think so." Lavi's smile was soft, and it made Allen blush. The blush only deepened when the redhead's shirt came off and landed on the rock he'd been sitting on. He stepped into the water. "So where are you taking me then?"

"I've got a few ideas." Allen replied, taking Lavi's hand when he entered deeper water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed my story of fun, pointless fluff! Please let me know what you thought of the story, I would love to hear some feedback. :)

**Author's Note:**

> This is horrendously short, I know, but it was one of those ideas that I just had to immediately write down. More will be coming, I promise. Thanks so much for reading, I appreciate it :)


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